Podcasts: To guest or not to guest

October 17, 2016

Happy Monday my dear blog readers. I seem to have a bit of an issue with sticking to a schedule. The idea of structure always appeals to me initially and then I start to feel boxed in. So bare with me as I try to post more, in a way that works for me.

Now on this rainy Monday I thought it was time we discussed a very important aspect of the podcast community, guests. Some podcasts revolve around having guests on. Longform, for example, would be very odd if they didn’t have a guest on. However there are other podcasts where the format is really just about the two hosts discussing a topic together, and bringing in a guest messes with the whole vibe.

Example of it done well: My Dad Wrote a Porno

This show really is about the core three talking through/reading each episode. But they have found an excellent way of incorporating some of their (famous) fans into the podcast. Each week they’ve started to add bonus episodes in between the chapters. Elijah Wood and Daisy Ridley are just two of the people who have been featured thus far. If you really don’t like the episodes then just skip them without actually missing any of the content.

Example of it done poorly: Gilmore Guys

I know that I talked about this last week, but I need to bring it up again. The episodes of Gilmore Guys without a guest are WAY better than the episodes with. They do occasionally have some of the stars from the show on the podcast which is actually quite entertaining. But I still prefer the episodes when it’s just the two hosts, Demi and Kevin, talking through the episodes. They get much more flustered and off topic when a guest is there.

As well, the famous guests are put into separate episodes and the people who guest-analyze the episodes with them are still almost-exclusively people hate the show. If you want to be critical that’s fine, but why criticize a person’s appearance for a reason not to like the show?

So, what do you think? Should podcasts have guests? Or does it mess with the flow?

I’m also always looking for new podcasts so if you have suggestions leave them in the comments or tweet at me!

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